How do you remove set Sikaflex Caulking?

[najsmith]

I am trying to remove the caulking off the cabin sole which seals the teak strip floor against the GRP, but it is paiful gentle work with a stanley knife...

Anything that can assist without damaging the wood or GRP?

 

[aluijten]

I have just finished that process for my boat. It's hell I can tell you. The expression 'elbow grease' is not even close :-(

Basically I saw every inch of seam from very up close for a minimal of 6 times before I was finished.
There is a device that can help you a bit (I've used it):

http://www.fein.de/corp/de/en/multimaster/boat.html

But be aware that it still needs an awful lot of work.

 

[jimbaerselman]

I've used three methods on a teak deck, hopefully similar to your problem.

On one deck I just pulled, and the strips came out by the metre! Badly primed on installation. Lucky I guess.

For the second method I created a set of cutting tools. Scrounged three dud files off a metal shop, and asked them to bend the tangs over at right angles. I then made the tangs into cutting knives. Ground two tangs to a wedge shape with a 30 degree angle towards the 'handle' - my pulling end. One had a left edge, the other with a right edge. The third tang had the sharp edge away from the handle - a sort of 'pusher' knife if you like, though the square end actually made a good pulling scraper.

Then you heave the blade along the seam, steering it by moving the handle from side to side. It's a sort of crude one sided spoke shave. The fine work of scraping the teak clean was done with the sqaure end scraper . . . .

Hope you understand what I mean.

The big deal is having something easy to apply a big pull with, and a means of steering the blade accurately so it cuts where you want, rather than following the grain. I wish I'd seen the neat tools some car windscreen removers use - same principle, but much better. Scrounge one if you can

The last method I used was a grouter. Creating the first groove took a while - accurately setting a steering batten. After that, the planks were all a uniform width apart, so it became easy to steer the machine putting the guide into the slot. Still had to use the files for the corners though.

Any help?

 

[Aja]

Just recently finished removing my cockpit sole which was stuck down (Moody's may prefer the term 'seated') with sika or similar. Three days work. In the end I used the saw extension that goes into a Stanley knife. Nice and fleible and it ripped the sika. Very effective.

Donald

 

[ADLS]

jimbaerselman
"For the second method I created a set of cutting tools."

There called Dogs in the tunnel construction trade as they were made from the steel dogs used to join 12' x 12" and 12' x 6" heavy timbers together. These were 3/8 bars with each end cranked down and points added turned opposit to each other. The tunnel caulkers would sharpen the points to cut out the timber packing protruding in the caulking groove between each side of a segment that forms the ring of the tunnel lining. The dog is held in one hand and tapped along the groove with a 4lb toffee hammer, cast iron segments are then caulked with lead stripping, concrete segment are caulked with cement fibre rope.

I used smaller versions of this to remove the SikaFlex caulking on my decks, after first scoring along the edge with a stanley knife and steel straight edge.

I'm not sure if Sika have a solvent cleaner that will break down the cured SikaFlex, I suggest checking their web site.

Byard

 

[Poignard]

If the seam is not less than 3mm wide you can buy an attachment for the Fein Multimaster power tool which digs out caulking very easily BUT the Multimaster will set you back about £160 and the attachment about £22. I reckon the MM is worth it because it can also saw, file, sand etc in the confined spaces found on boats and it's one of the most useful power tools I have. Suggest you compare the cost of one with the price you put on your time, or what a boatyard might charge.

 

[najsmith]

Thanks for all your help guys.

Im not trying to get the caulking out from the laminate, flooring, but the caulking around the edges sealing it to the saloon sole.

Getting those dry strips off just takes painstaking scraping with a stanley knife & i don;t want to scratch the shiny GRP inner mold.

ANy further thoughts?